Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
  • H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
  • H03K17/00—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking
  • H03K17/08—Modifications for protecting switching circuit against overcurrent or overvoltage
  • H03K17/082—Modifications for protecting switching circuit against overcurrent or overvoltage by feedback from the output to the control circuit
  • H03K17/0828—Modifications for protecting switching circuit against overcurrent or overvoltage by feedback from the output to the control circuit in composite switches
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
  • H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
  • H03K17/00—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking
  • H03K17/08—Modifications for protecting switching circuit against overcurrent or overvoltage
  • H03K17/081—Modifications for protecting switching circuit against overcurrent or overvoltage without feedback from the output circuit to the control circuit
  • H03K17/08116—Modifications for protecting switching circuit against overcurrent or overvoltage without feedback from the output circuit to the control circuit in composite switches
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
  • H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
  • H03K17/00—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking
  • H03K17/51—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking characterised by the components used
  • H03K17/56—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking characterised by the components used by the use, as active elements, of semiconductor devices
  • H03K17/567—Circuits characterised by the use of more than one type of semiconductor device, e.g. BIMOS, composite devices such as IGBT
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
  • H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
  • H03K5/00—Manipulating of pulses not covered by one of the other main groups of this subclass
  • H03K5/01—Shaping pulses
  • H03K5/08—Shaping pulses by limiting; by thresholding; by slicing, i.e. combined limiting and thresholding
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10D—INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
  • H10D64/00—Electrodes of devices having potential barriers
  • H10D64/20—Electrodes characterised by their shapes, relative sizes or dispositions 
  • H10D64/27—Electrodes not carrying the current to be rectified, amplified, oscillated or switched, e.g. gates
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10D—INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
  • H10D64/00—Electrodes of devices having potential barriers
  • H10D64/20—Electrodes characterised by their shapes, relative sizes or dispositions 
  • H10D64/27—Electrodes not carrying the current to be rectified, amplified, oscillated or switched, e.g. gates
  • H10D64/281—Base electrodes for bipolar transistors
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10D—INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
  • H10D84/00—Integrated devices formed in or on semiconductor substrates that comprise only semiconducting layers, e.g. on Si wafers or on GaAs-on-Si wafers
  • H10D84/101—Integrated devices comprising main components and built-in components, e.g. IGBT having built-in freewheel diode
  • H10D84/161—IGBT having built-in components
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
  • H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
  • H03K2217/00—Indexing scheme related to electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making or -breaking covered by H03K17/00
  • H03K2217/0036—Means reducing energy consumption
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10D—INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
  • H10D12/00—Bipolar devices controlled by the field effect, e.g. insulated-gate bipolar transistors [IGBT]
  • H10D12/411—Insulated-gate bipolar transistors [IGBT]

Definitions

• Embodiments relate to the field of semiconductor devices, and more particularly to an insulated gate bipolar transistor device.
• An insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) device is a semiconductor device having four alternating layers (P-N-P-N) that are controlled by a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) gate structure.
• an IGBT device also referred to herein as an IGBT
• an IGBT cell may be considered as a hybrid device that has the output switching and conduction characteristics of a bipolar transistor, while being voltage-controlled as in a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).
• MOSFET metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor
• an IGBT cell may be constructed similarly to an n-channel vertical power MOSFET (NMOS portion) where the n + drain is replaced with a p + collector layer, thus forming a vertical PNP bipolar junction transistor.
• the PNP bipolar junction transistor portion (“PNP portion") of the IGBT may be designed to pass a (clamping) current during an inductive flyback period of operation.
• known designs for IGBTs may employ a clamp structure that turns on the NMOS portion of the IGBT in a linear mode to enable the PNP portion to pass clamping current. Turning on the NMOS in linear mode during an inductive flyback period may be very stressful on the IGBT device due to the high voltage/high current condition, and can limit the energy performance and robustness capability of the IGBT device.
• an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) device is provided.
• the IGBT may include an NMOS portion and a PNP portion, where the PNP portion is coupled to the NMOS portion.
• the PNP portion may include a base and a collector.
• the IGBT may further include a flyback clamp, where the flyback clamp is coupled between the base and collector of the PNP portion.
• the method may include switching the IGBT from an ON state to an OFF state; and turning on a PNP portion of the IGBT in the OFF state, wherein an NMOS portion of the IGBT is maintained in an OFF condition during flyback clamping in the OFF state.
• FIG. 1 presents a circuit representation of one implementation of an IGBT according to embodiments of the disclosure
• FIG. 2 presents a plan view of an IGBT according to various embodiments of the disclosure.
• the terms “on,” “overlying,” “disposed on” and “over” may be used in the following description and claims. “On,” “overlying,” “disposed on” and “over” may be used to indicate when two or more elements are in direct physical contact with one another. The terms “on,”, “overlying,” “disposed on,” and over, may also mean when two or more elements are not in direct contact with one another. For example, “over” may mean when one element is above another element and not in contact with another element, and may have another element or elements in between the two elements.
• the present embodiments are generally related to improved IGBT devices, or simply, "IGBTs.” Among the improvements afforded by the present embodiments are improved energy handling and robustness.
• a novel clamping circuitry is provided in an IGBT that facilitates maintaining the MOS portion of the IGBT in an OFF state during flyback clamping.
• the IGBT may enter flyback clamping by use of a diode stack to turn on the PNP portion.
• the diode stack may draw base current instead of the NMOS device.
• the energy handling performance during a single pulse undamped inductive switching (UIS) event or repetitive UIS may be improved by leaving the NMOS portion of the IGBT in the OFF state during flyback clamping.
• UIS undamped inductive switching
• Some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a base-to-emitter pull-up resistor to provide improved ICES leakage performance.
• FIG. 1 a circuit representation of an IGBT 100 according to embodiments of the disclosure.
• the IGBT 100 includes a PNP portion 102, an NMOS portion 103, and an RG resistor 104, connected to the gate of the NMOS portion 103.
• the IGBT 100 may further include an RGE resistor 105 coupled between the gate and collector 114 of the PNP portion 102 of the IGBT 100.
• the collector 114 of the PNP portion 102 may be equivalent to the emitter of the IGBT 100, and the emitter 112 of the PNP portion 102 may be equivalent to the collector of the IGBT 100, as in known devices.
• a flyback clamp 101 may be coupled to the base and drain (collector 114) of the PNP portion 102 of an IGBT 100.
• some embodiments may include a resistor 106, coupled between the emitter 112 and base 116 of the PNP portion 102 of the IGBT 100. This optional resistor may lower current leakage. In addition, some embodiments may omit the RG resistor 104. Removing the RG resistor 104 may increase switching speed.
• the flyback clamp 101 may be implemented as a diode stack, such as a pair of polysilicon diodes formed from polysilicon (poly diode stack). As shown, the opposed diodes are formed wherein the opposed cathodes are connected to one another in a cathode-to-cathode configuration.
• FIG. 2 there is shown a plan view of an IGBT 200 according to embodiments of the disclosure.
• the IGBT 200 is integrated into a semiconductor die and includes a flyback clamp implemented as a poly diode stack, as discussed above.
• the IGBT 200 in particular may be designed with a wide flyback clamp, shown as flyback clamp 101, that carries all base current or a majority of the base current of a PNP portion of the IGBT 200. Also shown are the emitter region 202 and the gate 204.
• some embodiments may include the resistor 106 as an integrated base- emitter resistor integrated into a semiconductor die (semiconductor substrate) forming the IGBT 100 or IGBT 200, such as a silicon substrate. As shown in FIG. 1 , the resistor 106 is disposed between the base and the emitter of the PNP portion 102.
• the integrated base-emitter resistor may improve ICES leakage (collector/emitter leakage with base shorted to emitter) at elevated voltages.
• the resistor 106 may function to hold off VBE (base-emitter voltage) of the PNP portion 102 at voltages that approach the clamp voltage.
• the resistor 106 may reduce the beta- multiplied current into the collector 1 14 of the PNP portion 102.
• an IGBT may direct PNP base current through an epitaxial layer contact ring. Redirecting the PNP base current may reduce current crowding or power dissipation within the core of the IGBT.
• an IGBT may be arranged wherein the substrate and layer stack forming the various components of the IGBT are similar to or the same as known IGBTs, in terms of thickness and composition. Because of the provision of the presence of a flyback clamp implemented as described above, and/or the directing of PNP base current through an epitaxial layer contact ring, the NMOS portion of the IGBTs of the present embodiments may be stable and robust during a high power event.
• An example of a high power event may be when VGS (gate- source voltage) is 0V and VDS (source-drain voltage) is above 400V.
• the power dissipation across a flyback clamp implemented as a diode stack between the base and collector of a PNP portion of an IGBT may be evenly distributed.
• An example of power dissipation across the diode stack may be approximately 6.5V per diode segment multiplied by the current.
• Embodiments of the present disclosure may have improved energy handling capabilities during a flyback event. Some embodiments may improve the undamped inductive spike rating or the self-clamped inductive switching energy capability. By virtue of the architecture and circuit arrangement of the present embodiments the operation of the integrated MOSFET portion (such as an MOS) of an IGBT may be avoided during an inductive flyback event, thus reducing the risk of the MOSFET portion being damaged. Some embodiments may withstand a single pulse maximum energy-handling event or a lifetime repetitive clamping test. The present disclosure may find applicability in, as just one example, automotive ignition IGBTs, or in other IGBT applications as well.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Nonlinear Science (AREA)
• Metal-Oxide And Bipolar Metal-Oxide Semiconductor Integrated Circuits (AREA)
• Electronic Switches (AREA)
• Power Conversion In General (AREA)
• Insulated Gate Type Field-Effect Transistor (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (2)

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• 2017
  • 2017-07-05 US US15/641,877 patent/US10218349B2/en active Active
  • 2017-07-07 WO PCT/US2017/041063 patent/WO2017201550A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2017-07-07 KR KR1020187035965A patent/KR20190040134A/ko not_active Abandoned
  • 2017-07-07 EP EP17800349.7A patent/EP3549166A4/de not_active Withdrawn

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